Croshere could be on the trading block
By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
May 6, 2002

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Forget the talk about how great an accomplishment it was for the Indiana Pacers to make the playoffs as the youngest team in the NBA. The expectations will be higher next season.

``From my standpoint, the young stuff's over,'' Pacers president Donnie Walsh said Monday. ``That's why I thought it was important to get into the playoffs and play against the first-place team. Now every player on our team has an idea of what this is really all about.''

Perhaps the biggest offseason question is the fate of forward Austin Croshere, who rapidly fell out coach Isiah Thomas' rotation. Croshere didn't play in half of the final eight games and played only a combined 12 minutes in the first three games against New Jersey.

Croshere came off the bench to score 18 points in a Game 4 victory, but said he wanted a more expanded role and wouldn't be surprised if he were traded. He won't be easy to move, with five years at nearly $7 million a year left on his contract signed after the 2000 season.

``I think he's marketable,'' Walsh said. ``The biggest limitation on whether we can trade him or not, is there a player out there as good as he is that can help our team.''

Thomas said he talked with Croshere during the season about his lack of playing time.

``My question always was, at the expense of who?'' he said.

Thomas said Croshere was behind Jeff Foster, Jermaine O'Neal, Al Harrington and Brad Miller on the depth chart. He said if he thought Croshere was playing better than any of those players, his minutes would increase.

``If he wants more playing time, if he wants Foster's minutes, take them from him in practice. Prove you're the better player,'' Thomas said.

Reggie Miller's position isn't in doubt. The question is how much longer he will play in the NBA. Walsh said the topic wasn't discussed in their season-ending meeting.

``I think he liked the team,'' Walsh said. ``He didn't like the fact that some of the players weren't ready to win at the higher level and probably hadn't gone through this before. He doesn't like losing, but he likes being here. He's a franchise player.''

Thomas said Miller played a vital role in mentoring his young teammates.

``As long as he feels that we have a shot of making some noise in the playoffs, he's sticking around. He's chasing the ring for real,'' Thomas said. ``He's not asking to jump a ride with some other team. He wants to do it here.''

Miller will likely return to a virtually identical team. Backup point guard Kevin Ollie and seldom-used center Bruno Sundov are the only free agents. Walsh and Thomas said they would like Ollie to return, but understood Sundov may explore other options.

The entire starting five will likely return intact.

Last summer, the Pacers looked at Chris Webber, Hakeem Olajuwon and other free-agent centers, but passed because of salary cap restrictions.

They focused instead on improvement from within. O'Neal, Harrington and Jonathan Bender all participated in extensive summer workout programs. Bender bulked up, Harrington slimmed down and O'Neal played in the Goodwill Games.

Thomas expected those players to continue their offseason training and newcomers Jamaal Tinsley, Ron Artest and Brad Miller to become immersed in similar workouts.

Thomas didn't rule out the acquisition of a veteran that could add leadership and production to only the fifth team in NBA history to make the playoffs with an average age under 25.

``It's got to be the right veteran,'' Thomas said. ``It's got to be veterans that can play and veterans that can contribute. Veterans that are specialists in some areas.''

If the young players continue to develop and the right veteran or two can be added, Thomas said the Pacers could be contenders next year in the Eastern Conference.

``We've finally got the foundation and framework where people can see that this is the team, these are the pieces and this is the direction it's going,'' he said.

Drbio

05-06-2002, 11:10 PM

no thanks.

Hoopsmeister

05-06-2002, 11:14 PM

For what? I'll admit he would probably do fine in Nellie's system, but he doesn't do anything we don't already have covered.

Drbio

05-06-2002, 11:32 PM

exactly. and 7 mil a year...ouch.

MFFL

05-06-2002, 11:39 PM

He'll sit on the bench just like Esch.

Drbio

05-06-2002, 11:40 PM

and Esch is much cheaper.

Epitome22

05-06-2002, 11:58 PM

I was thinking the other day that another 7 foot white guy who can shoot 3 pointers is just what the Mavs need to cinch a championship.

Drbio

05-07-2002, 12:00 AM

funny...lol

DTL

05-07-2002, 12:05 AM

<< I was thinking the other day that another 7 foot white guy who can shoot 3 pointers is just what the Mavs need to cinch a championship. >>

Thomas just doesn't understand the contemporary young white man's game. He's out of touch.

Seriously, Pacers are stocked in the frontcourt. I like Croshere fine, but agree with posters here that he doesn't really add that much to the Mavs' roster. He can help somebody though--he just needs more minutes than Thomas seems prepared to work him in for.

madape

05-07-2002, 12:24 PM

Hmmm.. a tall SF that can defend, rebound, AND hit threes?! You're right, that doesn't doesn't sound like what the Mavs need at ALL!

Crochere would be our starting small forward on most nights.

Murphy3

05-07-2002, 12:38 PM

take out the playing defense and you've got a deal

MavKikiNYC

05-07-2002, 12:48 PM

Yeah, Austin is a step and a half slow defensively (Mavs have that covered already, thanks) and his 3-game looks streaky. He's a less polished, less-talented version of Dirk, who doesn't seem to play with the hustle of a N&aacute;jera. I'd like to see him find the right team, just don't think it's the Mavs.

madape

05-07-2002, 01:00 PM

He is a bit too slow to guard quick small forwards, but so Najera. Defensively, I could see the Mavs using him in a way similar to how they use Eddie. However, Crochere's bigger and could probably do a better job on guys like Webber and Garnett.

Obviously on offense, he's miles ahead of Griff/Buck/Najera.

Najera does give a little more hustle for loose balls and such.

Drbio

05-07-2002, 07:31 PM

Thomas just doesn't understand the contemporary young white man's game. He's out of touch.

What a great line....

Epitome22

05-08-2002, 04:32 PM

<< Hmmm.. a tall SF that can defend, rebound, AND hit threes?! You're right, that doesn't doesn't sound like what the Mavs need at ALL!

Crochere would be our starting small forward on most nights. >>

in an alternate dimension. A Tall, slow, unathletic no defense playing forward who is known as a bust and one of the more atrocious money stealing players in the nba is exactly what The Mavs do not need. Plus the guy doesen't even play small forward really, he either comes in for O'Neal or pinch hits at center where his no defense playing ass will be less of a liability. He's a nice scoring threat from the bench so long as he's on a team that can play good defense where his defensive uselessness is less of a liability. That team, however, is not the Mavs.

madape

05-08-2002, 05:16 PM

If you don't count Dirk as a SF, this is the position the Mavs are weakest at. I do NOT think that Crocher is the answer there, but I do think he's got a hell of a lot more game than Najera, Buckner or Griff.

Hoopsmeister

05-08-2002, 06:35 PM

<< If you don't count Dirk as a SF, this is the position the Mavs are weakest at. I do NOT think that Crocher is the answer there, but I do think he's got a hell of a lot more game than Najera, Buckner or Griff. >>

But does he have more game than Akrabanic or however its spelled? Now is not the time to settle.

(And while I agree that Najera-Buckner-Griffen are not NBA starters, for what they do, which is bring hard-nosed energy off the bench, they are all 3 light years ahead of Crosier).

walker727

05-08-2002, 07:03 PM

Just say NO to Cro

Drbio

05-08-2002, 07:49 PM

good post Hoops....Croshere costs too much as well.

madape

07-03-2002, 04:34 PM

I saw this posted on another site and thought it was interesting:

http://www.indystar.com/article.php?pacers03.html

It speaks of a statistical analasys tool that shows that Crochere was by far the most effective Pacer last year.

MavKikiNYC

07-03-2002, 04:51 PM

I like Croshere as a player, but not for the Mavs.

And if these guys are trying to sell this tool, Croshere's coming out on top is one of those test results that they'll be laying off as Beta-version error.

TheKid

07-05-2002, 09:29 AM

I was thinking the other day that another 7 foot white guy who can shoot 3 pointers is just what the Mavs need to cinch a championship.

I didn't know Croshere was seven feet tall???? If Croshere was about $3-$4 mill a year, I'd say take the gamble... For $7 mil you'd better have more of an indication that a guy is capable and he has shown NO REASON to believe he's the answer. Would he be great coming off the bench, YES! However to throw him in the starting lineup we currently have, taking away Griff, Buck or Najera would make our starting line up WORSE defensively and that's JUST what the Mavs need to do..

No thanks... The Knicks should think about getting Croshere...

MavKikiNYC

07-05-2002, 11:02 AM

Croshere on the NYKs is kinda interesting.

But I'm not sure if Indiana would be willing to make a trade that would improve the Knicks; not sure that NYKs have anything of value to offer; not sure how well he'd contribute defensively; and frankly, not sure that AC would be a popular acquisition with NYK fans.

While I like his game sometime, he has two pretty glaring weaknesses that make him tough to place--1) he's a bit slow defensively, which makes it tough to put him at small forward defensively; and 2) he is pretty inconsistent with his 3-shot, which he really needs to set up his drives to the hoop.

Thomas doesn't seem to like his game that much, so he would have to get a lot more consistent to stick with the Pacers. He always seems to play hard though, and usually manages to make a contribution of some sort, but given the size of his contract, teams and fans are always going to expect more.